In this blog post, I will outline the gear I take while cycle touring, how I pick routes/navigate and some useful lessons I've picked up during a decade of this hobby.

Gear

Packing list

• Water bottle X 3
• panniers
• barbag/feed bag
• bike lights
• phone holder
• additional dry bag
• bungees
• cable lock
• passport
• credit card X2
• 50 euros local currency
• phone
• chargers
• powerbank
• Tools: pump, tyre levers, patch kit, multitool, spare tube, zip ties, tape, chain tool, spare bolts
• tent
• sleeping bag
• roll mat
• inflatable pillow
• Clothes: Trainers, sandals, bike shorts X2, sports tops X2, cycling gloves, underwear X3, tracksuit trousers, casual shorts, long sleeve top, t-shirt, waterproof jacket, swimwear
• Cooking: stove, gas, pan X2 (use as bowls), spork X2, knife X2, sharp knife, chopping board, lighter, aeropress, mug X2, washup liquid, sponge, tea towel, coffee
• Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, flannel, travel towel, toilet paper, meds/supplements, washing powder/liquid, chamois cream, sunscreen
• sun hat/shades
• head torch
• tupperware for meals
• kindle

For a longer trip (2 weeks or more) I will also pack

• Spare brake pads
• Chain oil and rag (stored attached to frame in case it leaks)
• Solar panels
• An extra change of clothes
• Razor, nail clippers

Bike setup and tips

• Drop bars/bar ends are good to give a variety of hand positions when riding all day
• Aero bars are also very nice, let you rest on your elbows
• I use SPD pedals to keep my feet in position
• Loading panniers on a front rack can help keep the wheel down when climbing
• Having an barbag/small feedbag you can reach while riding is good for keeping fueled
• When you pack for a trip, aim to have at least 10 % free space in your bags. You will never pack this efficiently again and will need space for food/rubbish/wet clothes
• Setup your bike for comfort over speed.
• A second pair of open shoes (sandals/slides/flip-flops) are a huge quality of life improvement for evenings/breaks
• Make sure you can use your tools and that e.g. spare tube is correct size and valve

Software and navigation

I use maps.me offline maps for android as my primary navigation tool. This is preferably to google/apple maps as you can download the regions you will cycle in ahead of time. You just need some storage space on your phone. The entirety of the UK takes up a couple of GBs, equivalent to a film or ~ 20 albums of music.

While on the bike, I have my phone in aeroplane mode to cut down on battery usage. maps.me just uses location data from the phone GPS, which is not disabled by aeroplane mode. I will often record my route on strava too, which takes some battery. I like to use a phone holder on my handlebars for ease of access. But often make do with a cycle jersey pocket.

When not wanting to look at a screen, I have used komoot with turn-by-turn navigation over bone conduction bluetooth headphones (I used trekx titanium) so as not to block my ears. This works pretty well.

Navigation

My method for route planning:

1. Pick an area I want to bike
2. Find existing routes. This might be from strava, komoot, eurovelo or just a broad internet search
3. Get gpx/kml files. It's often easier to just search for "<route name> + gpx file"
4. Convert gpx to kml
5. Copy kml to my phone and open it with maps.me

For day to day navigation I will:

• Use a kml route if I have one
• If not, I will pick where I want to go and manually put pins on the map of maps.me at junctions I need to take. I try to take back roads/tracks for a car-free ride. This takes some experience and has led to various off-road adventures that friends and family have (mostly) forgiven me for
• On the bike I will not use active/voice navigation as it takes a lot of battery. Instead i will just periodically check that I am en route and remember the next few junctions/turns
• maps.me is pretty good for finding grocery stores/cafes etc. But I will sometimes use google maps for e..g opening times

I have some useful routefiles, mostly Swedish, in maps page

Wild camping

It is perfectly possible to wild camp in many places that it is not legal. There are some methods that I have found useful:

• Wait until near dusk before setting up if possible
• Have an extra bottle to fill up with water before making camp for cooking etc.
• Learn to read a map to find good camping spots
• Think of line of site from roads, just the other side of a hedge can work great
• Most people are nice and will not bother you!